How far do you travel to practice?

[josie]

Following from the "London rehearsal rooms" thread, if you're in a band, how close together do you all live, and how far do you travel to practice?

My band started as a workshop project at Band on the Wall in Manchester, working with two of the best local blues musicians (Mat Walklate and Paulo Fuschi) so it was worth us all coming in to central Manchester once a week, from different directions and distances. Stockport, Bury, north Mcr, Bolton, and even Southport (50 miles away). Now that's ended, we really want to stay together, and we're trying to find practice spaces and gigs that everyone can sensibly travel to. Ok so far but I have a bad feeling that the distance and travel time may wear us down. Anywhere we go, at least one of us is going to spend at least an hour and a half each way getting there and back.

Traveling to play gigs is a different question, but for regular practice sessions?

[ead]

For me it's between 20 and 45 mins each way depending upon which band.

[FinnDave]

I'll be driving 90 miles each way to rehearse on Sunday, west of Oxford to Leicester. There are others in the band who drive further than I do.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Just under two miles

[BrunoBass]

I’ve been spoiled these last few years; our rehearsal space was exactly one mile from my front door, but it closed down recently and we had to find somewhere new. The only feasible and affordable option is two motorway junctions away, 20-30 minute  drive each way and around 35 mile round trip. The trade off is that it’s a much better equipped studio than our old one. It’s about the same journey for our drummer and not much difference for our singer/guitarist who lives roughly halfway between the old one and the new one.

After a day in the car travelling to anywhere from London to Manchester or further, I must admit that the prospect of  getting back in the car after having eaten and changed doesn’t always fill me with joy. 

[Cat Burrito]

I'm in a couple of local bands but my main act are based from just outside Swindon to South London. We meet in High Wycombe, which for me is an hour away.

[mep]

Just over 2 miles

[Vinny]

Each way - 39 miles for one band, 34 for the other.

[Marvin]

Just under a mile. We practice at the singers place which is just outside the town. No neighbours, great cups of tea and I'm home in a few minutes...absolutely fantastic

[steantval]

Our vocalist has his own rehearsal studio, zero miles for him, about a 32 mile round trip for the rest of us.

[alyctes]

Almost exactly what Marvin said.

[chris_b]

Depends which part of the house I start from, but as I practice in the front room it isn't far.

When a rehearsal is called for, which isn't often these days, as far as it takes.

[Dad3353]

Myself (drums...), Our Youngest (bass...) and Our Eldest (Guitar I...) live in, so we're already ready at the drop of a hat. Guitar II has a 20 km drive, the singster under 5 km. All the gear is permanently set up in our µ-studio at one end of our cottage, where Our Eldest lives, so there's no carting stuff about nor setting up/tearing down. Yes, we're spoilt, I know, but we're worth it. 

[thodrik]

I lived in Tain for two years and then two bands I was in were in Glasgow. 3 hr 40 min commute to practice each way. Not ideal but we managed to keep going. In the USA it’s not uncommon for some band members to live in different states, so I tried to use that logic. Wouldn’t do it again though!

Now, about 20 mins. 

[Bagman]

9 meters

out the back door down the path to the music room

[DarkHeart]

44 miles there and back

[T-Bay]

0 miles, we practice at work after hours.

[AntLockyer]

51 miles for me but sometimes we practice down here about 4 miles from my house. On the plus side we rarely practice lol

[Oopsdabassist]

One of my bands has members from all over North and South Bucks and the singer is in Herts! For me its about 33 miles each way, but 'cross country' so takes about 45 mins.

the other band rehears about 4 miles from my door, which is much more civilised!

[Twigman]

We have 2 members resident in Croxley Green, 1 currently in Brixton, 1 in Wandsworth and me in Dunstable....we rehearse in Watford - easy for the Croxley Greeners (4miles) and me (18miles) ...something of a PITA for the south London posse...

 

That said we have a band meeting today in....Wandsworth...listening to final mixes of the album and going for some slap up nosh together.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Twigman

[Lozz196]

5.5 miles for me, prob same for the singer/guitarist, and about 15 for the drummer. It`s nice to have a nearby rehearsal studio, we start at 5:30ish, sometimes I`m home in time for Eastenders (how punk is that?).

[stingrayPete1977]

About ten miles each way, I'll be setting off for todays in a few minutes. 

[Happy Jack]

Band #1 = 27 yards (my garage)

Band #2 = 27 miles

Thank God I don't play in The Proclaimers ...

[stingrayPete1977]

36 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Band #1 = 27 yards (my garage)

Band #2 = 27 miles

Thank God I don't play in The Proclaimers ...

You don't wear glasses, they'd never let you in their band. 

[rogerstodge]

What’s a rehearsal?